Inspiration
    "Chasing angels or fleeing demons, go to the mountains." - Jeffrey Rasley
    Trending Posts
    • “Let Them Govern Themselves” by Boyd K. Packer
    • Analysis of an Incredible Eve/Mary Artwork by a Roman Catholic Nun
    • The Mechanics of Priesthood, Power, and Faith
    Trending
    • 26 – What is the doctrine of Christ and the fulness of the gospel?
    • #25 – How Nephi leverages scriptures heroes to his advantage
    • “Whoso knocketh, to him he will open”
    • Lehi’s escape from a polygamist Jerusalem
    • #24 – The attributes of a Heavenly Mother?
    • #23 – Comfort is the thief of growth
    • #22 – Coyote, chickens, and an impenetrable fortress designed in wisdom and love
    • New Photo of Joseph Smith Discovered? (for real this time?)
    oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
    • Podcast
      • Apple Podcasts
      • Spotify
      • Anchor.fm
    • Topics
      • Atonement
      • Symbolism
      • Temple Prep
      • Temples
      • Notebook
      • Vlog
    • Study Tools
      • Etymology Dictionary
      • Lectures on Faith.com
      • LDSSymbols.com
      • LDS Architecture Blog
      • Number in Scripture
      • Interpreter Foundation
      • Isaiah Explorer
      • ScriptureNotes
      • Septuagint (English)
      • Strong’s Condordance
      • The Book of Isaiah (IIT)
      • Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
    • About
      • About oneClimbs
      • Contact
    oneClimbs.comoneClimbs.com
    Home»Articles»“Church is boring.”
    Articles April 21, 20156 Mins Read

    “Church is boring.”

    “Church is boring.”

    That’s what I’ll often hear people say, in person, on podcasts, blogs, and forums out there.

    If you compare church to an action movie, video games or a sporting event then, yes, it is very boring. Even if you compare it to the celebratory atmosphere of a praise-filled Protestant church service then yes, it is boring.

    It wasn’t until perhaps the 1840’s [1] that we get the word ‘boring’ as a description of something wearying. In the modern sense, the word ‘boring’ means: “not interesting; tedious.”

    On the other hand, any of these previously mentioned events like action movies, video games, sporting events or even a fiery Baptist sermon can be ‘boring’ if you are not interested or invested in what is going on.

    At most events, we expect to simply show up without much preparation and be entertained, informed or involved in some pre-planned activity.

    I’m not arguing that LDS worship services are perfect in every way and that there is no room for improvement because there are many things we could do better. What I am suggesting, however, is that what we get out of our worship services is primarily our responsibility. I will go further to suggest that what we get out of life as a whole is ultimately our responsibility. Bear with me as I try to explain.

    The sacrament, our most sacred ordinance outside of the temple, consists of a tiny piece of bread, a tiny cup of water, and reverent silence (well, except for the kids). There isn’t much that is particularly exciting or earth-shattering about this on its surface, but we aren’t there to have something given to us, rather, we are there to offer up something instead.

    “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;” [2]

    In other words, what we get out of the ordinance directly corresponds to what we bring to it. Each week, we get a new opportunity to experiment with how we can best do this in our own way.

    How often do we as Latter-day Saints meditate? How often do we intentionally sit still in pure silence and extract truth, wisdom or insights from the workings of our mind or the influence of the Spirit?

    If you can grow spiritually in pure silence, then how much more might you be able to grow when you are immersed in a reverent meditative environment with your fellow Saints.

    Theology has a big role to play in how worship services work. For instance, a Baptist worship service is focused on praise because they are celebrating their salvation. They believe that as one confesses Jesus as their Lord, they are saved. Therefore, you meet to celebrate and praise God for your salvation, fellowship and receive some edification from God’s word.

    LDS worship services are more geared toward ordinances, instruction and meditation. Rather than upbeat praise and celebration, the culture seems to prefer silent praise and commemoration.

    I don’t think there’s anything wrong with an energetic praise-filled celebration. I think it would be wonderful to include some of that into our lives, but cultural (as opposed to doctrinal) traditions sometimes keep us in fruitless ruts.

    If you feel the need for some praise and celebration, you can engage in that at home or maybe tag along with your Baptist neighbors and share in the good that their traditions have to offer. That’s the beauty of true Mormonism, we are free to enjoy all the good in the world wherever we may find it; the three hour block isn’t meant to be the sole expression of our spiritual lives [2].

    Returning to the principle of meditation, I think if more Latter-day Saints practiced it in private and public worship, then the issue of church being boring would practically disappear. Once you take ownership of your spirituality, you don’t wait to have it spoon-fed to you, rather, you discern it and pull it from anything and everything around you. I believe that the principle of meditation and pondering is essential to any worshipper.

    I shared an account from Richard G. Scott in another post recently [3] where he was in an unproductive gospel doctrine class. He was still able to be tuned in and receive revelation that actually had nothing to do with the class, in fact, he got up and left! I can relate to his experience though I don’t often get up and leave the class. Usually, in the process of listening, a certain remark or scripture leads me to disengage from the class mentally and I’m off in my own world, pondering and meditating upon some subject. Sometimes, I never re-engage with the class while other times I’m back in a few seconds. The point is that I believe very strongly in taking ownership of my own spirituality.

    LDS worship services are not just about getting edifying instruction. We are there among fellow-saints, many of which struggle with a variety of issues and conflicting personality characteristics. We develop patience, charity, and a variety of Christ-like attributes by associating with people that we might not like while being blessed by others that we wish we could be more like.

    None of it works unless each individual takes ownership of their spirituality and engages in the community.

    Boredom is a choice.

    David O. McKay once taught:

    “We pay too little attention to the value of meditation, a principle of devotion. In our worship there are two elements: One is spiritual communion arising from our own meditation; the other, instruction from others, particularly from those who have authority to guide and instruct us. Of the two, the more profitable introspectively is the meditation. Meditation is the language of the soul. It is defined as “a form of private devotion, or spiritual exercise, consisting in deep, continued reflection on some religious theme.” Meditation is a form of prayer. …

    Meditation is one of the most secret, most sacred doors through which we pass into the presence of the Lord.” [4]

    If you would like to learn more about how you can begin to experiment with meditation, read this post.

    We live in an age of distraction and we are addicted to it, we crave it. We want to be connected to everything, to know the latest news and to snack endlessly on status updates. There is plenty of time for meditation, but can we detach long enough for it to be effective? Our ears itch to be satisfied with some new thing, patience is becoming an affliction to be avoided rather than a virtue to be developed. Many secret, sacred doors remain closed because the price of patience is becoming increasingly too high. Revolution stirs within our souls, will we maintain the status quo of carnal security or tip the scales in favor of a mighty change of heart?

    1. http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=boring&allowed_in_frame=0
    2. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/31.23?lang=eng#22
    3. https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/59.9?lang=eng#8
    4. http://oneclimbs.com/2015/03/29/faith-fiction-and-going-beyond-first-impressions/
    5. https://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-david-o-mckay/chapter-4?lang=eng
    Previous ArticleWe’re Here to Develop Patience
    Next Article “The prison of himself”
    Steve Reed

      I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. Though I may speak passionately or convincingly in some of this content, PLEASE don't simply take my word alone on anything. Always seek the truth of all things through study and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

      1 Comment

      1. Richard J. Nobbe III on April 24, 2015 11:53 am

        “…patience is becoming an affliction to be avoided rather than a virtue to be developed. Many secret, sacred doors remain closed because the price of patience is becoming increasingly too high.”

        This could have been something right out of General Conference. (And I believe something very similar to it has been said). I am trying to remind myself of these things daily. And the neat thing is that the more patient we are, the more we actually enjoy it. The more time we seek to be in prayer, or in meditation, or taking long walks and pondering. We start to crave this time when we shut out the noise of the world – and it’s very noisy right now. With hand-held devices that are equipped to give us virtually any piece of information/entertainment on-demand, we need to make sure we’re not creating an environment where the Spirit has no place to come into our lives.

        Regarding sacrament meeting, Sunday school, relief society & priesthood, and virtually all other meetings in the church, my institute teacher once told me that if we are really “tuned-in” to the things of the Spirit, then there really should be two meetings taking place – much as you have described in this post. One meeting is the actual meeting, and the other meeting is our personal interactions with the Holy Spirit. Some of the best meetings I’ve ever had are when the Holy Spirit is comforting me, teaching me, or giving me some other kind of instruction. The meeting could be about Naomi in the old testament, but the spiritual meeting might be something like, “I really need to do this for someone,” or “am I doing everything I can to help my wife/kids through……”

        Thus, I think the main reason we go on Sunday is to partake of the Sacrament, which is the most important thing we do each week. As you said, we all bring fruit-meet for repentance, if we have properly prepared, and we ponder our Baptismal, Temple, and for brethren, our Priesthood covenants. But then, the next reason we go is to have three hours which are set apart from the world. As long as the lessons center around Jesus Christ, His doctrine, and the atonement, then it really doesn’t matter what the quality of the lessons are – the point is we are in a place where the Spirit is going to be very eager to speak to us. Now, it’s always nice to hear a good talk, and it’s great to see a Sunday school or elder’s quorum teacher who is prepared. Oft times this can elicit more revelation. But we are commanded to gather in the Church every week to partake of the emblems of the Lord’s suffering, much like we are commanded to stand in other holy places. The most holy places on the earth are the Temples, the Stakes of Zion, and the Home.

        Reply

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      Inspiration

      One may memorize much without learning anything. In this age of speed, there seems to be little time for meditation. - Hugh B. Brown

      New Post Email Notifications

      You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

      Trending Posts
      • Articles , Quotes
        “Let Them Govern Themselves” by Boyd K. Packer

        I'm a fan of Boyd K. Packer. Behind that gravely-sounding voice is a fascin...

      • Articles
        Analysis of an Incredible Eve/Mary Artwork by a Roman Catholic Nun

        My friend, Richard N. shared this image with me, and I thought it was fanta...

      • Articles
        The Mechanics of Priesthood, Power, and Faith

        What is the priesthood? What is the power of the priesthood and how does th...

      • Articles
        The Pride and Prosperity Cycles

        The pride cycle is something known to Latter-day Saints through the study o...

      • Articles
        Characteristics vs. Attributes: Demystifying Lectures 3 and 4

        Every now and then you find an answer that is extremely satisfying almost i...

      Recent Comments
      • Steve Reed on A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30: “Thanks for your thoughts, Jeffery, it seems as though many people are starting to take a closer look at Jacob…”
      • Jeff on A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30: “Thank you for this! I had actually just finished writing out my thoughts on Jacob 2:30, which were almost identical…”
      • Jonathan on A Guide to Keeping Your Own “Small Plates”: “This is AWESOME! I’m going to be using some of these principles and sharing them with my seminary class tomorrow…”
      • Oladipo on Characteristics vs. Attributes: Demystifying Lectures 3 and 4: “God is Spirit. The Word of God that manifested in the Person of Jesus resides in God. The Spirit of…”
      • Jason on A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30: “This is so good. Thank you so much for articulating such a clear explanation with this one verse. Well done.”
      Blogroll
      • Academy for Temple Studies
      • Bruce Charlton's Notions
      • Conner's Connundrums
      • Gently Hew Stone
      • Hemlock Knots
      • Interpreter Foundation
      • Isaiah Explained
      • Isaiah Explorer
      • Junior Ganymede
      • Latter-day Saint Architecture Blog
      • Latter-day Saint Temples
      • LDSSymbols.com
      • Leading Saints
      • Number in Scripture by E. W. Bullinger
      • Sixty Symbols
      • Spiritual Arson Podcast
      • Strongs Concordance
      • TempleStudy
      • The Ancient Context of Joseph Smith's Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar
      • Webster's 1828 Dictionary
      New Post Email Notifications

      You can subscribe any time, and I will ONLY use your email to send you new post updates.

      Inspiration
      "in this Church you don’t have to believe anything that isn’t true…whatever is true is a part of the gospel." - Henry Eyring
      About this Site

      I created oneClimbs as a place to organize my thoughts and share my observations with anyone who might find the information useful. All content on this site is considered a work in progress that is often updated when new insights are obtained.

      oneClimbs.com

      LecturesOnFaith.com  //  LDSSymbols.com

      © 2023 oneClimbs. All content unique to oneClimbs is fair use. All other content is property of the respective copyright owner. oneClimbs.com is not owned, controlled, or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All views and opinions are of the authors here who are solely responsible for their content and should not be interpreted as official statements of Church doctrine, belief, or practice, unless specifically stated and correctly referenced.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.